On the City Pattern Project: Our Head Is in the Clouds, Where Is Yours?

15Dec08

In which The Gay Recluse reaches into the mailbag.

Today we received a letter from Reader J___ B___:

I agree with the reader who took exception the the multiple image thing.
One pic is fine, write what you want beneath it.
A finger to me, and I’ll never bother with you again.
J____ B____ is a name I use to protect the innocent. I hope you like it. I have others.

When we first read this, we wanted to shred this jerk, as if he represented all of the assholes over the years who have ever tried to tell us how to live our life. We wanted to scream: who the fuck made you god of the internet? We wanted to post 100 repeating images of us giving you the finger, because what right do you have to tell us what or what not to do on our blog? Do you really think we give even the slightest shit what you think, who you want to “protect,” and whether you’ll “bother” with us? Srsly, fuck off and die!

But that passed, and left us with a more ambivalent sense of pity. Imagine the agony of going through life with such a terrible, narcissistic need to correct others (and to anonymously send them such creepy and vaguely threatening words)!

It’s true that we may live with our head in the clouds, but there are clearly worse fates.

I like the repeated-picture thing. It gives a molassesey pace to the posts, and makes you work a little bit to get to the next paragraph. The fact that you don’t do it with every single post indicates that you know this, and use it when it’s appropriate to the subject matter. It’s a literary device, you philistines.

seriously. What’s the big deal about the multiple photos. I like the concept, it makes me chew my food a little slower and helps digest the thoughts… I think its your right, its your blog. If someone doesn’t like it they can stop reading–but what a silly reason to stop reading. We have greater fish to fry like that scary all maniless site….that’s sKary.

Everybody has an opinion on art, but some people confuse cattiness or habitual disapproval with communication.

The artist is called on to create, regardless of external opinion. Still, it’s useful to distinguish feedback which connects us to others, from the generic, masturbatory ranting that’s always in the air around us, like static.